The US, China and Taiwan have all signed onto a fiction — that Taiwan and China are one and the same government. Of course, the US doesn't completely go along with that, but for official purposes, it's been a useful lie for decades.

In 1978, food writer Carolyn Phillips, an American, has just married into a Chinese family. Her husband’s family, especially her mother-in-law, was not happy about the union. Then she came up with an idea — to connect with them over food.

Updated

03/28/2014 - 5:30pm

Throw a dart at the map these days, and there's a pretty good chance it will land near a pro-democracy protest. Ukraine. Venezuela. Turkey. And now Taiwan, where well-organized students are trying to stop a rushed trade agreement with China.

If Taiwan ever reunites with mainland China, it will likely be under a "one country, two systems" policy like the one that governs Hong Kong. But as protests in Hong Kong have expanded and turned violent, demonstrators in Taipei say it's a warning sign for their island.

If you think of yourself as a global citizen, then it is about time you got over your bias toward the Gregorian calendar. Depending on the community you are in, the year might be 1393, or 5116, or something else.

Decadence takes many forms. In China, some display their wealth by killing tigers at parties. Chinese officials are trying to stop the practice. In the UK, military officials are under fire for using pigs to test body armor and train medical personnel. And Taiwan's students protest with sunflowers, in today's Global Scan.

China's foreign ministry has strongly criticized the US for backing Japan's control of a disputed group of islands in the East China Sea. A government spokesman said the view, expressed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, "neglects the facts."

Language editor Patrick Cox can't decide between three Chinese names given to him by Chinese friends and colleagues. The first uses clever wordplay, the second adheres to fortune telling conventions, and the third looks and sounds majestic.

Items in some western, fast-food chains are disappearing from the menu in China. Why? They potentially contain meat that was beyond its expiration date. Meanwhile a US Congressman gets confused over the nationality of two US government employees, and a survivor of a Taiwanese plane crash describes her ordeal — in today's Global Scan.